Written in the Dorian Mode, Last Hours of Summer is a song for those who regret the lost dreams of youth. It moves from a sense of loss and impending age to a realization of the riches that life still holds for us, no matter how old we are.

Hints of D Major color the primary E melodic minor tone of the song to provide a tonally more complex feel to this Early Advanced Level (Grade 6) piece. The song is an unconventional fusion of ABA form with song structure.